New Responsibilities
by Ghouse89
Summary: Spider-Man is in the fight of his life with Kraven and Ana Kravinoff, and just when it seems Spidey's gonna lose, Kraven makes a revelation that changes his life forever, for better or for worse. Hopefully better than summ. Follows main canon continuity
1. Chapter 1

_Here's a Spidey fic idea that I had going and I really need to see if it makes for a good story when out down on paper…or the internet, I guess. When it comes down to it I think it's a concept that I've seen a lot of but never seen from a particular perspective. Spider-Man's a fun loving guy, right? But when it all boils down to it, Spidey is really angst central, if you know what I mean. He says the power and responsibility line, but we all know that Spider-Man has this overall theme of guilt running through it. Decisions that can neither be classified as good or bad seemingly coming back to haunt our favorite wall crawler every single time. No matter what Spidey does—and we know he does all that he can—it never seems to be enough and he still finds some way to blame himself. Inadequacy issues, anyone? Let's just see if this works and hope it's not too dark._

_**Revelations**_

There was always time for jokes.

It didn't matter that one of his all time persistent bad guys, who had recently pulled a resurrection, was back at the moment to make his life a living hell. Laugh at the man known as Kraven the Hunter all you want, but there was one thing about him that Peter had noticed: he would keep coming at you if he felt you were his prey. And thanks to all the times that he had gotten his ass kicked by the arachnid hero, it had meant that Spidey would forever be a sore spot to him, a blemish on Kraven's record. Spider-Man was an issue in the hunter's life that he was constantly trying to remedy. It was not surprising that when he had finally bested the wall crawler, it gave him cause to end his own life. Spider-Man had choked the life out of what was to be a proud legacy, and so Kraven had slowly become obsessed with him little by little until the thought of ridding the earth of his Spider-prey had consumed him. Tarnishing what was said by him to be a masterpiece, Kraven's psychotic family resurrected him in hopes that he would lead them against the Spider-clan to dispose of them once and for all. The Grim Hunt, they called it. It was a ruthless ordeal that cost Mattie Franklin, Madame Web and Kaine their lives, and all for some stupid superiority power play, Peter thought. But even now as Ana and her father had returned to wreak havoc in his life, and having been in an incredibly fierce battle with them just minutes ago, Peter figured that there was always time for jokes, despite the remainder of the Kraven family's revitalized murderous intent, of which he seemed to be the focus.

On one knee and clutching his side in pain, Spidey looked as a creepily calm Ana brandished twin knives just a couple feet away from him, as if daring him to attack her and her father whom she shielded from Spidey at the moment. He too had been weakened by the passing battle. "I gotta tell you Kraven, if you do happen to do me in, just make it quick. None of that burying me alive stuff. I recall that it was very lonely down there" the hero quipped, hoping it would further tick Kraven off by reminding him of his failed past.

"Spyder, Spyder…you are not long for this world, and you can feel it can't you? The impending sense of doom that father and I bring?"

"Really? That feeling is doom? I thought it was a burrito working its way to the back door. Boy, am I relieved" he told the teenage girl, expecting her to attack any moment. _Bummer that I lost my freaking Spider-sense a while back_, he thought. _It would've made this a whole lot easier_.

Kraven gradually picked himself up, attempting to stand tall and prove to his nemesis that he was still possessed of enough strength to keep his plan in motion. "You seek to thwart me Spyder, but it is I that shall triumph in this battleground."

"Actually it's a zoo, Kraven. But a battleground? Gee, I don't know. Gonna have to see city hall for a permit" Spider-Man said, stealing quick glances all around him. He _could_ admit to himself that the way the animals were acting—they were all deathly quiet, for some reason—kind of freaked him out a little.

Sergei walked some distance away from where Ana stood facing off with Spider-Man and into a circle comprised of lit candles that he had set up before the wall crawler's intrusion. Retrieving a vial from within a pouch, he smiled as he thought how it had been tricky stealing a serum from Horizon labs that was said to be scientific in nature. But as one well versed in the dark arts, he knew that the serum held some unknown power that had to be drawn out through the ceremony he hoped to perform under the full moon. _Damn the Spyder. He will not best me tonight_, he thought.

It had been a well executed plan when he had stolen the serum from an unguarded Horizon Labs due to the fact that he had sent Ana on a distracting rampage through the city with some of the untamed beasts that he had been able to exert control over in the Savage land. He knew who the Spyder pretended to be with his mask off and figured that if he was too busy stopping the blonde girl from destroying the city in her wake with wild animals, he would not be able to pay attention to his 'home' at Horizon. So far, he and Ana had been successful. And now, in front of their mortal enemy they would use the stolen vial to become more than just hunters. They would become **predators**. "The next step in our journey is here, Ana!" he cried out into the dark, holding up the vial to a lightening filled sky.

"Kraven! Whatever you're planning on doing with that vial could be dangerous! It's still experimental!" Spider-Man shouted as he explained, all the while not taking his eyes off of the blade-wielding Ana. Screaming as she attacked the superhero, she stretched her arms out hoping to sink the blades she held into his chest. But Spider-Man reacted just as fast and rapidly spun webs all around her blades, rendering them useless as her hands were now huge balls of webbing. Her initial lunge, however, did send them both rolling backward even further away from Kraven. Finally coming to a stop on top of Spider-Man, Ana straddled him and tried to remove her hands from his grip that he had at her wrists. "Damn, you're strong. What does he feed you? Y'know what, I probably don't wanna know." he said, not missing a step when it came to the banter. "You will die, Spyder!" she growled at him, anxious to prove that she could stand against him one on one.

"Die? But that sounds so lame. Why can't I live instead? I bet that'd teach me" he retorted, finding leverage with his legs against Ana and kicking her off swiftly. Still weak from his initial fight with Kraven, he struggled to get to his feet as the animal skin clad villain was nearing the end of his incantation. Kraven had meanwhile since poured his stolen concoction into a special chalice that he had been holding the entire length of the spell. "No…" Spidey said weakly as he tried to make his way in a half run, half stagger towards Kraven, knowing from experience that as long it was magic, the Kravinoff's were up to no good. At that very moment, Kraven greedily drank up all that was within the cup, some of it even dripping down his chin onto the floor, making tiny drops reminiscent of blood. Immediately after he had finished it and before Spidey could reach the circle of lit candles, an unearthly bolt of lightning came down swiftly upon the Kravinoff patriarch, bathing him in an otherworldly glow. Blinded by the light, Spidey attempted to shield his vision and so did the elated Kravinoff youngster behind him. When the light show suddenly ceased as it had started, Peter knew that what he would see when he looked at Kraven would be bad news. And he was right.

All of the candles had been extinguished by now and Kraven stood in the circle, visibly larger and with a fiercer, more feral visage. His teeth had all grown sharper and longer, making him look more threatening and he had grown significantly so that he now hunched over a bit due to his doubled bulk. "Oh God, Kraven…what have you done?" Spider-Man questioned, wondering if the hunter had seen or had known what he would become. He was lucky that all the zoo security guards had fled earlier on so they didn't have to see this. Ana's feelings though, were the exact opposite of the web slinger's; she could not contain her excitement at what her father had become. "Father has been reborn!" she hailed, a new zest coursing through her body as she looked at her father's new appearance.

Smiling a toothy, menacing smile, Kraven slowly walked out of the circle, closer to the two witnesses of his rebirth. "Worry not, Spyder; I still possess my intellect and my mind is as sound as it ever was. But nature, who has always favored those who hunt, has given me new gifts that I will use to on the prey. Even my senses are increased tenfold" he expounded, in a guttural voice while the hero still reeled in the knowledge of what he had done. "I am now a Predator and a hunter no more!"

Readying himself to fight Kraven no matter what he had been juiced up with, Spidey assumed a fighting stance, only to hear footsteps behind him. _Crap_, he thought, knowing that by the time he turned round, the girl that he had temporarily forgotten about would be right there. "Hyyeeeaaghh!" Ana yelled as she slashed Spider-Man's chest once he had turned to meet her attack. Spidey figured that he could recover from a strike like that but was not so convinced when he started to get woozy. "Poi…poison, huh? How…original" he choked out as he fell onto his back the fight gone out of him and his energy drained. Ana stood over him, towering and due to the poison, wavering like a reflection in a pond, ready to obey her father's wish and strike him down permanently.

"I told you, Spyder! I have won!" he roared happily, raising his hands to the sky. "And now you will be the first prey to be rewarded a death at the hands of a family reborn in cleansing fire" At this, Ana's lips thinned into a maniacal smile, continuing to stare at the Spidey, without so much as concern in her eyes. Peter knew that he had to act fast and quickly voiced out an observation that he hoped would distract them for a while. "Y'know what?" came his low toned voice out of the blue, "How come…Kraven got changed…in the baptism…of fire, but…you didn't, Ana? What's up…with that?"

Ana's smile seemed to hold against the taunting comment and for a minute Spidey thought he had failed to capture her attention. But he was given new hope when he saw it falter and get less wide until she was frowning. "What nonsense do you speak before inevitable death, Spyder?" she asked, clearly frazzled by his analysis, but unwilling to show it.

"Y'know, after Kraven…did the whole thing…shouldn't you…have changed into the…steroid version of you? I mean, aren't you…Kravinoff enough?"

Her frown only deepened and her gaze, now fierce and angry, held its focus on Spider-Man for a while before eventually turning to the transformed Kraven. "…He speaks Father. Perhaps you can answer his questions and show him how foolish he is"

"Forget him Ana. Fulfill your destiny and slay the Spyder"

"Answer his questions, father" she maintained adamantly, impatience beginning to animate her features. "Why have I not shared in this glory that you clearly said would affect the hunters?"

"Slay the Spyder!"

"Tell me why I have remained as I am!"

"SLAY HIM!"

"TELL ME WHY!"

Sergei Kravinoff gazed at the young girl, not surprised in the least that she would not display fear as she demanded answers from him. He had taught and trained her well. But the Spyder, while dying like a weakling was trying to get her to question him. He considered lying to her for a brief minute but was sure, confident that it was time to reveal to her the truth. He felt that if she could handle it at all, the time was now.

"Ana…it is with great pain that I reveal this truth to you. But you have convinced me that this may just be the perfect time to reveal to you the reality of all this. Child…you are not a hunter" he told her, his voice deep and hoarse as he spoke. The surprise on Ana's face was subtle but one could tell if they looked closely, that she was devastated. She stepped back a bit from where Spider-Man lay in a delirium, but able to hear all what was being said. "I am..I am not…a hunter?" Kraven gravely shook his head in response. "But then…but then…what…what am I?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"…You are a spyder."

The words reverberated through the vicinity, rendering all of them silent and Spider-Man was sure that he would suddenly hear the chants of "Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!", from nearby.

"…No…it…no…it cannot—"

"Think back, child" Kraven interrupted, beginning to inch closer to her. "During the Grim Hunt, why do you think that you did not suffer at the hands of the Spyders that much? Why wasn't their perverted force of nature trying to subdue you? Alyosha and Chameleon were affected, trapped in a web that terrified them. Sasha almost went insane with panic, believing that the Spyders had been hunting us since. Vladimir was resurrected as an abomination, through the deceit of the Web-Mother and her clan, as was I. But you—you came through the experience whole. Virtually unscathed. Why do you think that is?"

Ana staggered backwards, dropping her knives to the floor and covering her ears with both hands. "Shut up! SHUT UP!" she screamed repeatedly, not willing to believe a word her father had told her. Spidey, with renewed strength fought to get up, seeing as his distraction had worked better than he had hoped. "Hold up…a minute there, Kraven" he said, finally getting up to his feet, and facing Kraven, some few feet ahead of a distressed Ana. "What're you…what're you saying?"

"Years ago, Osborn was sure he would bring your downfall. He found a way to destroy you and to cause you pain before doing just that. Your mate, the red maned one—was convinced that she had miscarried your child. But Osborn had stolen it away, giving it to another, whom you believe destroyed it. But no. He did not, and the child survived. It was given to me, because of sentiment. The man just could not destroy it. He said that Osborn had given him orders to give the child to me to dispose of. But I too, when the time came, could not do it. The child was not a boy as you had been told, but a beautiful girl—"

"STOP!" Ana screamed in vain.

"—a girl that I knew would be strong, a girl that I could train to exterminate the clan she once belonged to. A girl given a second chance. I gave her a serum to increase her growth rate rapidly, and another one to suppress some of the Spyder powers that she would surely display in life. The ones that would inform her of her background. I left those that would be seen as unusual but normal; the strength, the speed and the agility. Giving her the opportunity to use the Spyder's powers against him."

Spider-Man had long since stopped listening to Kraven talk, as the memories of that tragic time resurfaced. And now that he had realized what the evil men around him had done, his anger surged. He didn't know whether he was getting angry on his behalf, on Mary Jane's or even on Ana's. He just knew that he was mad as hell. "You monster!" he breathed out venomously. "You stole my child, just so you could use her against me?" The rage flowing through his system had nullified the effects of the mild poison that had been used against him. He felt rejuvenated and ready to tear anyone's head off. Beside him, to his close left, Ana had collapsed into a broken up mound and was sobbing her eyes out, and this seemed to get Kraven riled up as well. "Do not disappoint me child; I rescued you from them and made you something great! Prove yourself to me. Rise and SLAY the spyder!" he shouted once more, to no avail. Ana couldn't control the grief that overwhelmed her, having just found out that she had been lied to about who she was all her life and forced to fight her real family. Her _real_ father.

She looked to Spidey from her place on the floor, continuing to cry unhindered. Even with his mask, she could tell that as he looked at Sergei, he had never been angrier, not even during the Grim Hunt. Not knowing what to do with all this surprise information, she got up quickly and ran off into the night, not knowing where she was headed, but just knowing that she had to run.

'ANA, NO!" Kraven called out, not even realizing Spider-Man coming at him with the ferocity of a born hunter. Kraven jumped back in time, dodging the double handed blow that cracked the pavement where he had been standing. He reached out to claw the web slinger with his his elongated nails and was sure that his speed was sufficient. "You cannot prevail, prey. You are—" WHAM! Kraven was stopped mid-sentence after Peter ducked low and dodged his swipe, connecting with Kravens head in a shattering uppercut. The force sent Kraven sprawling through the air, landing on his back with a huge thud several feet away. Kraven quickly sat up, nursing his severely bleeding mouth with his hand. He knew deep inside him then, that the arachnid might burn out the adrenaline in no time, but the damage that he could inflict within that time…could be catastrophic. Even to an augmented beast such as himself. He could not risk it.

He began to teleport as the raging hero ran toward him, even as his blows connected with empty air as the figure of Kraven faded away. "You took Ana away from me, Spyder. I will return" Kraven's voice echoed as he finally disappeared all together, leaving the superhero in a fit of rage with nothing to hit. "AAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHH!" Spider-Man yelled into the night sky, determined to burn off the excess fury somehow. He couldn't believe it. The blonde teenage psychopath was…she was…she was his kid. "Oh man" he whimpered, falling to his knees, despair easily overtaking the rage. He didn't even know if he should follow her or leave her some time to be alone. He…he didn't know what to do. It was his fault that she was in this mess in the first place. All because she had been his daughter, she had been screwed over so badly. It was his fault because she was supposed to be his responsibility.

As if mirroring the mood, the sky finally burst forth with rain drenching the wall crawler in seconds, which didn't concern him in the slightest at the moment. His…his _daughter_…had run off into the night, and because of stupid cruel evil men, his life had been changed irrevocably forever.

This was no time to be making jokes.

End

_See what I mean? Spidey works well with the guilt thing. It may be a little much at times but it's also what makes him so gosh darn entertaining. Some writers overdo it to the point that you can see Spidey's need for a therapist. But I am searching for the balance._

_I'm currently on one-shot mania right now, and I think that I'll end this right here and leave the aftermath to the imagination of the reader. Unless you guys want otherwise. I don't wanna risk starting a story that people don't wanna read; that would suck. But I think it would work nicely as a oneshot, don't you? Feel free to disagree. Forgive any spelling mistakes and stuff like that. Also don't butcher me if I skewered main canon history. I had a couple of Spidey comics from that arc, but they're lost now and I've completely forgotten what happened. Although I own all the recent Grim Hunt stuff, so, that's a win for me, I guess._


	2. Chapter 2

_You demanded it and I am inclined to obey! It's chapter two of the story that stole the hearts of millions…well, actually, five people but that's more than enough to make me give you guys what you want. Thank you for the reviews and for the coercion to continue. I hope you guys like where I'll take the story. Spidey's about to get a lot angstier (I know, that's not a word), but there'll still be occasions for humor, I promise you. Also, just so you know, I'm gonna be involving some of the characters from the Spider-Family in this fic. In fact, I aim to use a lot of well known Spider-Man supporting characters because that's just how I roll. Read on and tell me what you think._

_**Coming to Terms**_

"Seriously, why do you think this is gonna end differently from all the other times?" Anya Corazon, also known as Spider-Girl, called out.

The white costume clad _'professional'_ villainess she was chasing known as Screwball, didn't seem to pay attention to her question as she struggled to focus on losing the teenage hero. Despite her parkour skills, she was having trouble evading a patient and persistent Anya, who was determined to retrieve the money that Screwball had stolen from an armored car, taking the driver and his partner completely unawares. In her mind, Screwball couldn't help but think about how she hated Spider-Girl. _I've been chased by Spider-Man for God sakes_, she thought, jumping from a car top to a street lamp and swinging off in a single fluid motion, with Spider-Girl close in pursuit. Basically, her web hits had come to an all time low, primarily due to the fact that most people, who frequented her site, didn't like the switch from an A-lister legend like Spider-Man to a new comer like Anya. She couldn't understand how she had been in the big leagues and was suddenly given an eager-to-prove-herself amateur.

"Where the hell is your significant other?" Screwball finally blurted out. "I need him to chase me, not you!"

"Okay…first of all, Spider-Man is not my boyfriend…mainly cuz I'm way too young to ask him out" Anya revealed as she used her web grapple to swing further towards the fleeing criminal, eliminating even more distance between them. "Second of all, you are a big flaming sack of a crazy that people leave at other people's doorsteps, so if they'd step on it to put the fire out, they'd get crazy all over their shoes"

"Bite me, fat ass!" Screwball yelled.

"…That is just unacceptable" Spider-Girl said to herself as she felt a burst of renewed vigor. "Why'd you have to go and make it personal, huh Screwy? I mean, we were doing banter and then you go and say something like that." The distance separating them slowly became smaller and smaller, until Anya was right behind Screwball, who ran past people on the ground now, anxious to get away from her pursuer. Crap, she thought as she actually felt Spider-Girl reach for her. She was so close, so—

THUNK! A flash of black seemed to descend rapidly and Anya was shocked to see Screwball brought down swiftly and hard by a drop kick from nowhere. Realizing who it was seconds later, the young hero was shocked to see that Spidey was the assailant, donning a black costume. "Umm, that was a bit harsh. You knocked her out in one move." People had already started to leave from where they were standing, as some of them were a bit scared of a Spider-Man who was a lot similar to the one that terrorized city dwellers under Osborn's tenure as Nick Fury.

Stooping low to see just how bad Screwball had been tagged, she was shocked to see that her helmet was ruined and cracked and her jaw looked like it had been broken. "Like I said, a bit harsh, don't you think?" she asked looking up at Spider-Man who had not said a word since he had appeared. "Are…you sure that you're not…y'know, Venom?"

"…You tell me" Spider-Man finally said, his voice completely devoid of its usual up-beat charm. "You should return that money and take Screwball to the cops" he added seconds later.

"So, she can get some medical attention, right?"

"…Yeah, sure. Why not?"

Anya went over to where the money had dropped and picked it up. "Well you're not in a good mood today" she said, turning back to him. "What happened? Did the psycho Kraven family come back and organize another bonding ordeal like the Grim Hunt?" she laughed, remembering how when he had last worn the black suit, he was being pushed to the edge by a bunch of crazy people who thought they were hunters.

"…You could say that" he answered, abruptly turning to walk away. "Wait, are you serious?" she called after him. She was officially worried about him now. She thought about following him and asking him what was wrong but decided against it. Seconds later though, he stopped in his tracks and paused for a bit before looking back at her. "Have you happened to see Ana Kravinoff, at all?"

"Not since last month when she tried to kick my ass to Kingdom come. Seriously, is there another one of those 'Grim Hunt' thingies going down?" she inquired, the fear and anxiety clear in her voice.

"Don't worry about it, kid" he told her, leaping into the air and swinging away before she could ask him any more questions, leaving her with an unconscious Screwball, a bag full of money and a lot of concern for his well being. A couple of cops were now running towards the tiny crowd gathered round her but she couldn't help ignore them, her mind telling her that Spidey might in trouble. Just before the police could reach her however, she grapple-swung her way from them, with the money in her hand, hoping that she could return it and put the whole Spider-Man encounter out of her mind.

_**Spider-Man-NewResponsibilities=Spider-ManNewResponsibilities=Spider-ManNewResponsibilities=Spider-ManNewResponsibilities**_

Walking through the halls to his apartment, Peter Parker could not help but think how especially screwed he was at the present. He had been unfocused all day at the office and he was thankful that Max Modell, his boss, was too busy to check up on him, because he would've seen how distracted he was. Actually, he had purposefully been avoiding all friends and family knowing that if they saw him like this, it would be just a matter of time before they would figure that something was wrong. And then he'd have to lie and explain his moodiness away, which was something that he really did not want to bother with at the moment. _I have a freakin daughter_, he thought, the very fact making him woozy. He didn't even know what kind of conversation he would have to have with Mary Jane eventually. Even Spider-Girl, a person with whom he didn't really hang out much could tell that he wasn't quite himself. He briefly thought back to their encounter earlier in the day and despite himself, hoped that she wouldn't worry about Kraven's agenda like he knew that she probably would.

_Nobody should worry about Kraven_, he thought as he approached his door and lingered for a moment before brandishing his key. _Because when I find him, I won't make the same mistake twice_.

Stepping into the dark parlor, he felt for the light switch and flicked it on. "Oh God!" was the next thing to come out of his mouth, because immediately the room got illuminated, the figure of a woman in a red turtle neck and black loose-fitting pants sitting on his couch temporarily scared him out of his wits. That particular feeling didn't last seconds, and due to his state of mind and how he had been feeling lately, it rapidly changed into anger. The thought that it might be Kraven or any other baddie stupid enough to make a play right now enraged him even more.

"Don't worry. I'm not a bad guy, '_Spider-man_'. Not at all" came the person's voice and that's when recognition flooded the wall crawler's brain and he realized who it was. "…Julia? What're you doing here?" he asked calming down.

Staring into the distance as she brushed her hair behind her ear, an amused smirk appeared on her features. "Paying the '_Center of the Web_' a visit, what else?"

"Oh, that's right. You're the New Madame Web. I keep forgetting that" he said, walking toward her and dropping his bag on the table in front of the couch. "So, what's going on in the world of magic?" he asked curiously, sitting next to her. "Is it something that I should be worried about?" Still staring into the distance, she shook her head in silence, the smile refusing to leave her lips. "Peter, it's okay. I know" she calmly let out.

"…Know about what?"

"Peter, stop it. It's partly why I'm here" she explained. "You mind?" she asked out of the blue, holding out her over coat for him to take.

"Hmmm. So you can magically appear in an apartment, but you can't magically put a coat on a coat rack? Magic blows" Peter said, as he took the coat, making Julia laugh lightly. "You are such a dummy. That's not how it works and you know it" she teasingly admonished.

"Speaking of clothes—why the black suit since the Kraven thing?" she questioned, arching an eyebrow.

"It's the only one I have that isn't ripped right now. Besides, it kinda felt appropriate, y'know?"

She nodded and then patted the space beside her on the couch, indicating she wanted him to sit back down. When he did, she went quiet for a while and he just waited for her to say something. Suddenly inhaling sharply and then sighing, she attempted to remove her dark glasses, exposing her completely white eyes. "…Sorry" she apologized. "It's just that, even now I still struggle from time to time with being…y'know, blind and all. I just wish…I wish that I could look at you as we talked" she finished, sighing again as she did. Peter opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted when she continued talking again. "But don't worry about it. I'm totally digging the new 'job' actually. It has a lot more certainty to it than anything I ever did."

"Any particularly sweet perks?"

"All the 'Spider-Family' TV that you could ever wish for. No cable bills or installation required" she joked, brushing her sandy blonde hair behind her ear yet again.

"Spider-Family TV? Sounds dirty" he shot back, making her playfully hit him even as they both laughed. "You've always been a goof, haven't you?"

Peter didn't answer but simply stared at the beautiful super heroine turned seer sitting on his couch. Somewhere at the back of his mind, he wondered how he would explain her to Carlie if she happened to come around. "I know you're staring, Peter. Cease and desist."

"Sorry. So, if you see us Spiders while we live our lives and all, that means…"

"Yeah, I know _all_ about you. In fact, I'm also privy to your past. Damn near all of it" she finished, her tone low and contemplative. "All of it, huh?" he thought out loud.

"And you know what?" she started, turning to face him though she couldn't see. "You're…you're the most incredible man I've ever known"

"Julia…"

"No, wait, don't interrupt. I need to say this" Stopping for while to breathe in deeply, she exhaled and proceeded to continue. "I…know all about it, Peter. About the exhibit…the Spider, the powers and trying to cash in on them. How you let…how you let the burglar go and then he…" At that, Peter shifted his focus to the floor in front of him. He never got used to thinking about his screwed up history, much less hearing it told to him by somebody. He was a little surprised when he felt Julia's right hand on his cheek, bringing his face back up to her level. "I know what you resolved to do after that. The Power and Responsibility thing. I saw what you endured all that time: being an outcast, being down and out and still having the good heart to risk your lives for others, even those that hated you. I know about the Green Goblin, and the rest of the freaks who made your life a constant struggle and I saw…I saw you resist—every single time—the urge to kill them and be done with it. Taking the high road even though it made everything twenty times worse. I saw how you lost Gwen, and…and how even at that, the point when any of us would flip out, you managed to keep it together. Just like you will _now_" she said, alluding to her knowing about his plan to give Kraven his just reward.

Convinced that he had been rendered speechless, Peter was shocked to hear himself talk. "So in short…you know everything that has ever happened to me?"

"It kind of feels like it's always been there and I just recently found access to it. Sometimes I…even have nightmares about some of the stuff that's happened to you…stuff that might happen"

"Julia, you shouldn't be worrying yourself to a pulp over me—"

"You're worth it, Peter" she said, causing both of them to stay silent for a while. It was then that Peter realized that tears were rolling down her cheeks. "I swear, if anyone on this God forsaken planet is worth it, then it's you. I mean, you were seventeen when you started all this! When all of us were still dealing with issues and just thinking about ourselves, you knew that there had to be someone who would use their gifts to protect the innocent. Who realizes that at seventeen, especially when there aren't other heroes to guide him?" she asked rhetorically.

"…Umm…technically, the, uh, Fantastic Four were the first to—"

"I swear to God, I will hit you, Peter Parker" she warned, removing her hand from his cheek and pointing a finger in his face, smiling and crying at the same time.

"Of course you will. Most women in my life hate my guts after they get to know me"

"I don't hate you, I love—" Julia began, only to stop herself mid-sentence when she realized what she was saying. Peter's hand went up to the back of his head as the atmosphere suddenly became tense after her near-confession, which made him nervous as hell. Luckily, Julia quickly saved the situation. "Sorry about the crying. I kinda got too emotional" she said while cleaning her cheeks and eyes, gracefully changing the subject.

"No problem. Actually, I should be thanking you. You kinda shook me out of my funk"

"…Don't worry. You'll find her, Peter" she assured him.

"It's been two days!" he exclaimed, getting up and starting to pace. "What if something's happened to her?" he let out worryingly, a bit taken aback when he saw that she was grinning again. "What is it? Why are you smiling?"

"This is a girl that has tried to kill you on several occasions before. And just like that, you realize she's your daughter and you start to care, forgetting whatever she's done to you" she said, emphasizing her previous point about him.

"She's my _daughter_! Besides, some people would call that '_gullible_', Julia"

"Well, you're not some people, Peter… Anyway, I guess I should probably start playing the seer, like I'm supposed to" She closed her eyes and clasped her hands together, beginning her meditations. When she began talking minutes later, Peter knew that it wasn't Julia speaking. "…Now, Spider-Man, listen closely to my words: the Web has been broken…and rearranged. A new Spider joins the clan, one that is a direct spawn of you"

"Meaning…?"

"Her very existence now as a self aware Spider has changed both hers and your destinies forever. The Web is new, full of exciting and strange moments, some pleasant, some…horrible. New foes arise, as well as new allies. The Dawn of a New Age is here, Spider-Man, one that may prove to be better than the last…or it will be your very undoing"

"Just how I love my prophecies; vague and unclear" he said to himself. "Do you know where Ana is?" he tried to find out in the most direct manner possible.

"She roams the city, looking for many things; a home, a sign to tell her what she should do, and also an end to her confusion on where she belongs. It is imperative that you find her before Kraven does. He too searches for her with his black magic and he will soon find her" Hearing about Kraven's plan to look for Ana brought the anger rushing back for Peter. He calmly walked over to his windows and stared out of them for a while. "Looks like we're just gonna have to find her first" he said at last, determination set in his eyes. He would **not** fail his daughter. Not again.

_**Spider-Man-NewResponsibilities=Spider-ManNewResponsibilities=Spider-ManNewResponsibilities=Spider-ManNewResponsibilities**_

The old man sat close to a fire that burnt from a drum, doing its best to warm those that huddled close to it. Here, it was the homeless and the destitute that found comfort with one another. The old man looked around him and saw that all his friends were sleeping but he knew that some of them had passed out from alcohol. "Lousy fellas" he muttered. "They'll never be ready if S.H.I.E.L.D comes swoopin' in, angling to bust me. Stupid S.H.I.E.L.D, thinking they can get to me. But I got friends in high places" he reasoned out loud to himself. "Yup. I even know Spider-Man" he said, remembering when a freak storm had forced him and Spidey plus a couple of his friends to team-up. Wrapping his arms around himself because of a chilly wind that blew, he looked down and chuckled when he saw the jacket that Spider-Man had given him back then. "One of the good guys, that Spider-Man" he concluded. "Definitely one of the—"

CLANG! A startling sound suddenly came from the alleyway behind him. Getting up quietly and picking up a baseball bat, he tip toed softly toward the disturbance as sweat ran down his brow and the hairs on the back of his neck stood tall. "Oh Lord. Who's there?" he called out, scared out of his mind. He was now in the middle of the alley way, eyes darting back and forth in expectance of danger. "…Whoever you are…you're not with S.H.I.E.L.D, are you?"

Only silence met his questions. But just when he thought he might be seeing and hearing things, he heard a voice in the overwhelming dark cut through the eerie silence. "Here" the Russian accented voice simply said at first.

"Holy Christ!" the man yelled as he turned to where the voice was coming from. Straining his eyes in the absence of light, he squinted at a window ledge some distance above his head and finally made out a piercing blue-eyed stare directed straight at him. "Who're…who're you?" he croaked out.

The gaze of the person did not waver for a second as moments passed, building the tension and getting the old man riled up even more. "I said, **who're you**?"

"…I…do not know" the voice said again and the man could've sworn that he was hearing the voice of a girl, most likely in her early teens. But the voice carried a maturity, oozing experience in its tone. It was a voice that belonged to a girl that had seen and done things that most people hadn't. That most people shouldn't.

Thankfully, the old man's brain was working faster than his fear was spreading. Instead of doing anything rash, he decided to make an ally of whoever it was. "…So…umm, 'No-name'…would you like some of my baloney sandwich? I was…sort of saving it for tomorrow, but…I guess if you're here and you're not S.H.I.E.L.D…you can stay" he offered. After some minutes, when he thought that the girl had ignored his proposal, she suddenly came down gracefully from the ledge, flipping in the air before landing in a crouch. Standing to her feet slowly while the man lowered his bat, her face remained expressionless. Getting a good look at his new guest, the man assumed that she was a runaway from a circus or something because her garb was something that he hadn't seen before, even amongst the crazy kids of the city that he noticed from time to time. To his surprise he also observed that she was barefoot. But despite all that, he noticed how pretty her blond hair she was and how she exuded confidence. _How could someone abandon such a beautiful kid_, he asked himself.

"So…where you from? Cleveland? I know a lot of people from Cleveland"

It didn't surprise him that she completely disregarded his question. "…I smell him on you" she said simply.

"What? Who's on me?"

"The smell of the Spyder" she said matter-of-factly.

"Wait, you mean Spider-Man? I mean, yeah, I got this jacket from him" he said, showing it to her, "but I sure as hell don't smell like him"

Her expression finally changed into one of mild surprise. "You have encountered him?"

"Damn straight" he said, starting to walk back to his spot beside the drum-fire. "Spider-Man's a stand-up guy, he is. Saved my life and I was happy to repay the favor. Fair is fair" The wind began to blow slightly once again as he sat back down, duly followed by the girl, who tentatively followed suit and sat down beside him with her legs crossed. "Also, he gave me this jacket. Said it wasn't his but I knew he was just being kind"

"…Kind" the girl whispered, gazing at the fire. "He is…kind"

"That he is. I'm Vern, by the way. What's your name girlie?" he asked her while he looked through his stuff for the sandwich.

"Ana. I am…I was…a hunter"

"Really? What did you hunt?"

"Things that I thought…that I was told, needed to die" she clarified.

"Sad but true. Some things need to die, Ana. What's wrong with that?"

"…A man that I believed was my father forced me to hunt things that are the reason for me being alive. He lied to me even though I trusted him"

"Well then that's no good" Vern confessed, partly understanding what she was saying. He finally found the sandwich wrapped in foil and gave it to a hesitant Ana, who eventually accepted and almost immediately started eating it. "Wow. You haven't eaten in a while, have you?" Grunting in admission as she wolfed down what she was given, Vern continued to look at her, studying the way that she acted.

"So what are you going to do now that you're not a hunter?" he inquired as soon as she had finished eating.

"I do not know. All I can do is hunt. But if I was lied to about who my father was just so I could hunt, then maybe…maybe the reason for hunting those things is a lie as well. Maybe hunting…is wrong" she told him, clearly feeling completely lost.

"I understand how you feel. Not knowing what to believe and to distrust. Me, I don't trust a lot of things. But a couple things I do. Don't worry; you'll find something…or someone, that you can trust" Looking over at Ana, he saw that she was looking at him critically, as if weighing the words he had said against who he appeared to be. She then looked up into the night sky, as if she expected to see something. "I hope I do as well" she said as a final point, after considering his wisdom.

"Ol' Vern knows you will…and…wait, what're you…?" Vern trailed off, somewhat stunned to see that Ana had courageously put her head in his lap, preparing to sleep off. Shaking off his surprise, he promptly took of his Spider-Man gift jacket and covered her with it. Satisfied that she was comfortable, he sighed and braced himself for another night that he _and_ his new friend had to face. Resolving to stay awake, he knew that he now had to keep her safe from S.H.I.E.L.D as well. There was no way he would let them get to her. Mumbling softly to himself, he didn't even notice that Ana had fallen asleep.

_**Coming to Terms**_

_What a freakin long chapter! It was very hard to write but I gotta say, I enjoyed it. Since this is a fic that I continued solely because of the review opinions, this is more or less a reader driven story. So I want your suggestions, critiques and praise too. Don't forget the praise. Kidding. I really would like to hear any ideas you guys have. It's not that I'm blocked or anything; in fact it's quite the opposite. I have so many ideas for this that it could span tens of chapters, ideas for Spider-Man arcs that I could fit in here. But you guys are officially part of a team with me when it comes to the creative control. Suggest something, dammit!_

_Also, I would like to know if I nailed the characterization of most of the supporting dudes. The homeless guy was an addition from ASM #556-557. I just had to use him. The Julia scene was also something that seemed logical to me. I have no idea why main canon continuity creates complex, awesome characters and then ignores them for the most part (e.g Ultimate Spider-Woman, Blindfold, Lady Deadpool e.t.c). Okay maybe Lady Deadpool isn't a complex character, but she sure is awesome!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey guys! Did I take long with this? Maybe I did and I half-heartedly apologize. We cool? Great! Now let's get on with this. If you will observe closely, there appears to be nothing up my sleeve, but watch…_

_**Chapter three-Taking Action**_

"Oh dear. Peter…that's…despicable. Are you alright?"

Peter wore a thin bitter smile when he heard Reed Richard's words of comfort. Getting consoled by the world famous—possibly, universally famous—leader of the "Future Foundation" was something that some people could only imagine experiencing. Not surprisingly, most people expected that Reed would not be a good processor of emotions but far from it. He had a family who was constantly fighting alongside him and that was probably what had helped him keep in touch with his feelings all this while without him becoming a soulless robot that relied on logic. Oh, and Sue. Sue definitely had something to do with the fact that Reed hadn't flipped his lid. Beautiful women were known to keep geeks that they were in love with relatively grounded.

Turning to face a clearly concerned Reed, an unmasked Peter tried to appear as though he was at ease. "I'm doing fine, Reed. I just wanted you to help me with a paternity—seriously, Sue…you're kind of freakin me out. You've been like that for minutes" he observed, referring to the fact Susan had stood with her hands covering her mouth since Peter had told them what Kraven had done to him. Finally, partly from Peter talking her out of her funk, she swept forward and enveloped him in a tight hug. "Uhh…thanks, Sue" Peter let out, returning her embrace.

Moments later, she let go of him but still kept her hands at his sides. "If you ever need to talk about this Peter, I'm right here" she offered solemnly, knowing how someone like Peter would really feel about the whole situation. He was the Amazing Spider-Man; the hero known for being driven by guilt, _and this is just going to make it worse_, Sue thought. She knew that Peter would really feel as if he had failed his daughter, even though it wasn't his fault.

"Uh…you were asking me about something, son. What is it?" Reed knew that if he didn't ask Peter about what he wanted, the gloomy atmosphere would threaten to swallow them all. Better to get the ball rolling then give allowance for sulking. "Oh yeah, Reed, I wanted to do a paternity test…to see if Kraven's story is true"

Sue's brow furrowed at the statement. "You _don't_ believe it's true?" she asked.

"No, I don't have doubts. I just want to do this to make it official" Peter explained. "I already know it's gonna be positive; I would just like some proof of that"

Reed quietly nodded in understanding. "Come with me, Peter" he said, turning to walk down a hall. Turning back to smile and mouth a thank you to a Sue who responded with a smile of her own, Peter followed the Future Foundation leader into a lab that when compared to others in the building, was actually a bit small. Without being asked, Peter dug into a web pouch that he had made, which held the hilts of Ana's twin blades. That fateful night of surprise revelations had been a whirlwind of emotions for Peter but he luckily was able to start thinking logically before he left the zoo, leading him to take Ana's discarded knives. At the time, he knew that it was his best bet of confirming that she was really his daughter. Giving them now to Reed, he hoped that the DNA on them would be all that was needed. "Thanks for doing this for me, Reed" Peter said, expressing his gratitude as the older man nodded in affirmation. "My pleasure, Peter. You're family to us…you know that we'll help in any way we can."

"Believe me, I really appreciate it." Peter knew that the FF would offer their assistance on the matter, but he was not planning to plunge them inside the issue just yet. Watching as Reed scanned the blade hilts for DNA, he was partly shocked to see a model of his own genetic material appear on one half of a screen in front of them. It simply registered in his brain as further proof that these people were very dear and close to him. So close that they even knew about and had a sample of his genetic make-up. _People don't get more trusting of each other than that_, he thought.

By now, the silence was becoming a bit awkward even for them and they both waited for the other to rid the room of the uncomfortable atmosphere with small talk or something. Eventually, Peter decided to speak up but it wasn't chit-chat that was on his mind at all. "…How do you deal with your kids, Reed? Cuz I'm telling you, I could cope with a normal teenager who just needs guidance and all, but it's a whole different ball game when your kid is somehow part of this screwed up life that we live." His confessional inquiry piqued Reed's interest, who realized at that moment, that even _he_ didn't know how he had been such a good Dad to two kids who were more than he could handle in theory. "…Ummm…Sue helps, I guess. More than even she would admit"

"I…I can't let her down again, Reed. I…I know that…that I have to fix this but I wouldn't even know where to start"

Reed opened his mouth to say something but decided against it, opting to go with a simple piece of advice. "Just do right by her, son. Show her what she needs right now–a father's love"

Briefly considering what the elderly scientist had said, Peter chuckled. "Who would think that the super genius, Reed Richards, was also deep?"

"I'd prefer if you didn't spread that information. I do have a reputation in the scientific community to uphold seeing as how they frown on displays of emotion" Reed joked, feeling that he could at least help cheer the wall crawling hero up by engaging him in his trademark witty banter. "Wow" Peter remarked. "Now that you've made a joke, the universe will obviously have to balance such a huge action out with another one, like earth getting invaded by aliens or something"

Before Reed could even reply, a large screen showing and comparing the two DNA helices, suddenly displayed the result on the screen –a huge green lettered "POSITIVE" that did away with the last of the doubt in Peter's mind. Giving way once again to the recently foregone somber mood, the room was plunged into more silence, and just like before, Peter was the first to break it. "Well, I guess there's no turning back now, huh?" Reflective of the mood, Reed solemnly shook his head. "I guess not, Peter. I guess not"

[**Spider-Man:New Responsibilities**]

Ana Kraven had no idea why the old man who took her in committed himself to a fruitless endeavor such as begging. It seemed to not be working as well as he thought that it did. "Go ahead then; don't give money to a guy who's risked his hide for this flamin city more times than you can count!" Vern yelled to some unsympathetic passers-by who had completely ignored him as they walked past. Ana briefly considered making them pay attention but the zeal in her to act over any situation had since waned, all because of a secret, a stupid secret that had ruined her life. Sitting up against a wall behind Vern, who up until that moment had been pleading with the seemingly indifferent teeming masses non-stop for the past four hours, Ana privately mused about how differently she would've treated someone like her homeless friend. Probably even much worse than what others would conceive in their minds to do. Even now, she secretly struggled with her hunter instincts that told her to kill indiscriminately, to not spare anyone who was potential prey. Kraven had taught her that such people were weak, meant for nothing more than oppression by those who were strong and so, killing them meant nothing. It was all she had previously believed about the so called "weaklings", but if he had found it in himself to lie about who she really was, then she didn't find it possible to trust him about anything. She was no hunter, despite it being the only skill she possessed in life. She was a spyder. A spyder that was kidnapped from its home, and raised as something that it was not. Her wandering mind then rested on a topic that was still a bit delicate to her in her confused state: her real father.

Spider-Man was her father. The man whom she had tried to kill over and over, in a quest to quench a never-dying hatred against him fanned by her family, was in actuality, her father. It terrified her to no end, the very fact itself because it signified that nothing was certain anymore. She attempted to imagine what kind of life she might've led if she wasn't stolen from her real family, but had no idea what a life like that entailed. The harsh, cold world of predators and prey was all she knew.

She had no idea what to feel towards Spider-Man now. Her hatred of him was admittedly a driving force in her life, and it had given her purpose. But even without discovering what the new intent that she had toward him was, she knew one thing: she did not want to face him just yet. It would be too soon, and she knew she would be at a loss concerning what she wanted to say to him.

"Blasted city! Can't even spare some change for an old timer such as myself. They oughta be ashamed!" Vern cried out, taking a seat beside the silent Ana.

"They do not care" she stated matter-of-factly, in a half hearted effort to make him understand. But Vern wouldn't hear any of it.

"It's unbelievable! While S.H.I.E.L.D pulls the wool over their eyes, and I'm here fightin for em, this's how they repay me?" he asked bitterly, apparently genuinely surprised that he hadn't elicited more of an action from the citizens of New York. "How much did you get?" she asked him with a slight smile on her lips, as she had clearly begun to comically appreciate the fact that Vern was perpetually stuck in tantrum mode.

"Just a couple dollars, can you imagine? It's unbelievable" he answered, showing her his hatful of change.

"There are probably better ways of getting money from them, ways that are faster and more…" Trailing off from what she was going to say, Ana suddenly became lost in focused concentration. Something was happening. Something nearby…that involved Kraven.

"Girlie, what is it? You were saying something and you just stopped"

She inadvertently ignored him even as her whole body seemed to tingle with an inexplicable anticipation. It was the sensation that she had always felt whenever she and Kraven used his dark magicks to teleport. He was definitely not her father but that did not mean that there wasn't a bond still between them. Or maybe it was just ties to the magic itself; maybe she would forever be attuned to it. But the one thing she did know for certain was that Kraven had come back to the city. She silently hoped that her forced return with him was not his reason for doing so.

Vern meanwhile, had started to get worried. "Ana…you okay?" he asked with genuine concern.

Snapping out of her trance as soon as he asked the question, she quickly darted her gaze back to him. "…Yes…I am. My father is back" she simply said. Vern's eyes grew wider at her statement. "You mean…the one who lied to you?"

"Yes" she told him. What she did not expect from her telling him, was him getting aggravated so easily over it. "Why, that lying, unashamed, good-for-nuthin…where is he?" Calming him down as he looked about in vain for the Kravinoff patriarch, Ana's right hand reached out to his cheek and brought him to face her. "It is okay, old man. I…I thank you for your kindness. And I hope we meet again" As soon as her sentenced had finished, Ana stood and began to dart away at a speed that shocked even Vern. "Wait! Where u goin?" he yelled, unconsciously standing to his feet as his questions fell on deaf ears. Before he knew what was happening, she was gone and he didn't know that Ana's reason for running had something to do with the fact that she knew where father was going to be. He was going to confront the Spyder.

[**Spider-Man:New Responsibilities**]

Peter Parker had learned a lot of things through experience that a normal person would not be able to. For example, he knew that super-villains were usually very poor at banter; a lot of super-heroes suffered from various insecurities; and most importantly, getting McFly-ed by someone with adamantium on their bones made it hurt a great deal.

He and the Avengers had just finished dealing with a rogue splinter group from the Annihilation Wave that had been hiding in the depths of the Negative Zone universe. While the really big brains, namely Noh-Varr and Tony, had tried to close the tear in the dimensional wall that the assaulters had come through, the rest of them had been fighting and subduing the weird looking bug creatures. Spidey had briefly considered helping the science guys close the rift, but felt that his abilities would be better suited in the instance that he had found himself in, which happened to entail him protecting civilians from getting killed by murderous humanoid insects.

Twenty minutes of battle later and the dust had settled on the super hero scuffle that just transpired. Having managed to send the entire throng back into the Negative Zone with minimal civilian and property casualties, Spider-Man thought the Avengers had just scored a home run, which led to even more surprise when Wolverine came by and greeted him with a slight knock. "What the hell, Logan? I've told you, that hurts!" Peter complained, observing as the stocky mutant folded his arms and prepared to deliver a lecture of some sort. "Alright, you better spill, Webs. Your head was clearly not in the game today. What is it?"

"Seriously? You noticed that I was slightly off my game?" Peter asked, with some measure of amazement. "Hey, before the big leagues, we were on the same Avengers team for quite some time" Logan reminded him, referencing their time on the New Avengers. "So I've seen you in action…and I've seen you _in action_. I know there's a difference. What's botherin' ya, kid?"

Peter sighed before looking away, not wanting to get into the issue all over again with someone else. At the moment, Hawkeye and Spider-Woman were talking to the police and Tony and Noh-Varr were using their equipment and making sure that the problem was really solved. The Red Hulk was standing near Clint and Jessica, which was who Wolverine had been standing with before coming to talk to Spider-Man. Logan continued to stare expectantly at the arachnid styled crime fighter, who buried his head in one of his hands and exhaled sharply. "It's just…it's some stuff, Logan. It's pretty big, but…I can handle it"

"How big?"

"Big enough for me to want to talk about this some other time. See ya around, Logan" Peter told him, quickly turning and walking away. Thankful that the Avengers had merely assembled for this one thing and that there was no further reason for him to stick around, Peter leapt into the air and onto a street light that he jumped off of to begin his web swinging. He hated the fact that he had just refused Logan's offer to talk, knowing it was possible that he could help. "Guy gives me a chance to use him as a listening ear, and I rudely decline. It's like we're switching personalities" he mused, picking up the pace as he swung even faster. After the visit that he made to the FF headquarters the day before, he was more determined than ever to renew his search and find Ana.

Lost in his thoughts, Peter didn't even see the figure jump off the building his web line was currently attached to. With no Spider sense to warn him, all he knew was that he was sailing gracefully through the air one second, and the next, he was falling as huge arms gripped him and held him tight. Realizing as they both fell that his attacker was content to drop with him, Peter waited till they were close to the ground and then maneuvered his body in such a way that the mystery person's back was the thing that broke their fall, as they smashed into a car. Unfortunately, it affected both of them, and after rolling unceremoniously of the ruined top of the car to the floor, Peter tried to shake off the pain racking his body so he could stand and get a look at the person who tackled him mid air. "…You…" was all he managed as he recognized the figure of the Predator Kraven. "You would dare show your face around here! After all you've done?"

Amidst the panic that started shortly after the people realized Spidey was about to confront a huge beast like man, Kraven slowly stood to his feet, still on top of the car. "You can never have her. I have…grown fond of her, Spyder. Ana is mine! WHERE IS SHE?"

"You shouldn't even be within a thousand feet of her, you monster!"

Bracing for a fight with the hulking Kraven, Peter struggled to control his vehemence. He knew that whenever he fought in anger, it always ended up being a very short fight in his opponents favor. He was at a loss for words however, when Kraven used his speed to rush at him, with the lack of his Spider-sense making him an easier target. The super hero's neck was gripped tightly and he was effortlessly lifted and held in mid-air, despite his persistence in trying to break free. The eyes of the predator burned with rage against him and behind his mask, his also mirrored the same emotions. But just as Kraven sought to crush his adversary's neck and be done with it, something distracted him and his gaze turned sideways. Peter ceased thinking of a last minute tactic for his getaway when he saw that Kraven's features had softened, and when he also focused on what had kept the man turned monster from killing him, he too was entranced. The surprise in no time though, gave way to relief; he had found the person he was been looking for. "Ana!" he cried, his voice choked out by the unrelenting grasp he still tried to loosen.

"Ana…" Kraven began tentatively "…you have…returned to me"

However, the words that came out of her mouth after she had surveyed the scene in front of her were words that Kraven did not expect to hear. "…Let him go" the teenage blonde simply said. The discovery of the fact that he had most likely lost Ana forever hit Kraven like an anvil. His well kept lie and its subsequent revelation had completely ruined the relationship between them. He kept his mouth shut as the regret filled his thoughts, and even the silence was later drowned out by the sound of police sirens drawing nearer.

Peter was about to open his mouth to speak to Ana, but was roughly thrown by Kraven through the air into the body of a huge truck. Ana flinched at the sound of her real father's crash into the stationary vehicle, but her attention was not pulled away from Kraven at all. "Despite all this, you are still Kravinoff, Ana. It is what you were raised to be. But…you have refused me and the role of hunter which you faithfully played until now." His expression did not betray him emotionally as he talked to her; it was as if he was explaining something of no concern. "Because you were once treated as my offspring, I will give you the honor of being slain by me in fair battle" he added before going on to recite an incantation. Seconds after he had finished, his body began to shrink and in no time, had reverted back to his real human guise. Pulling a knife from a sheath, he beckoned menacingly to his erstwhile adoptive daughter, daring her to come get him.

Smiling devilishly for the first time in a long time, Ana surmised within herself that it was exactly what she needed: combat to vent. Retrieving a knife that had been hidden on her person, she suddenly rushed at Kraven, causing him to do the same. All she knew at the moment was that she might not make it alive out of their battle.

[**Spider-Man:New Responsibilities**]

_I hope that the story has been sweet thus far. I also hope that this particular chapter met with expectations. I will be ending this current arc with the next chapter. Kraven Vs. Ana! With Spidey in the middle! How will all this end and will Ana and Peter finally resolve their father-daughter issues? Who knows? Till next time, true believers!_

_Next chapter, I'll also explain how the whole pregnancy thing happened even though the Parker-Watson marriage never took place. I got my work cut out for me, I do._


End file.
